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Yeah, Jon was getting way too anime there for a while but I thought this issue toned that down a tad. But I mean, that I think can be gotten away with a bit more because the kid's 10, he can get away with being drawn cutesy. Lois is a essentially a bombshell. Its in her character that she's basically stunningly hot. Can't really get away with drawing her so weird. For me at least.

They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son. - Jor-El.

I was ready to drop my subscription to the book again, as I've done several times since Rebirth, because I really don't like the Jon-centric stuff. Kathy "turning heel" is enough for me to keep my subscription at least through the next issue, though. I like shocking swerves and heel turns. Also, for some reason the giant squid seems cool (I have no idea why).

Still, it'll be nice if they can take this book away from Hamilton and lose the Jon-focus. The title of the book is Superman. Superman should be the center of the stories. I know, I'm "biased" because I don't like Jon, but if I were reading SuperSons or a book called Superboy (Which I wouldn't, but if I were...), I wouldn't complain about him being a central or the central character. I'm reading Superman, though. I want it to be about Superman.

One of the few times the current volume of this title has gone away from focusing on Jon and Hamilton was Multiplicity, and it was their best arc IMO. I don't think that's a coincidence.

Also, I'm not seeing much separation if any from Rebirth Superman to Reborn Superman in the Superman title. Other than that they are now the Kents, it seems almost exactly the same. It's like the writers here just had this story they wanted to tell with Rebirth Superman and went ahead and it did despite the changes, with the bare minimum acknowledgement the editors would let them get away with.

Originally Posted by Nelliebly

I'm bothered that the two best investigative journalists in the world apparently need Batman to tell them that something is wrong. This story would be so much more compelling to me if it was Lois and Clark chasing leads to solve this.

Well, Batman is the world's most famous detective. It's not like they got scooped by "some guy". Part of the reason Batman is a Justice League caliber hero despite his complete lack of powers is that he can put puzzle pieces together that other people can't, or can put them together faster than other people could.

Originally Posted by mrjames21

Did anyone else find it strange that the people of Hamilton recognized Jon as Superboy and the son of Superman?

Did they recognize him as Superboy, or did Jon spill the beans? When I read it, it seemed like he let it slip and said something like "My father..." rather than the people in the town saying "There's Superman's son!".

However, one thing that is becoming a bit hard to suspend disbelief wise is that Jon has the exact same way of speaking as Superboy as he does as Jon. I mean, that by itself isn't hard to believe, I would imagine keeping two personas separate is hard even for the adult heroes, but the thing is with his expanded "yes sir" and "no sir" and the exaggerated extra vowel stuff in a small town where everyone knows his civilian identity should tip them off. And once they realize Jon is Superboy, and Superboy says Superman is his father, and since they know Clark Kent is Jon's father and Clark doesn't even wear glasses on the farm a lot of times, even the village idiot should be able to piece Superman's secret identity together. I know it's always been a bit ridiculous that people don't get who Superman is, but this is getting really over the top ridiculous. Granted, since Reborn, the combined Superman has been wearing the glasses some, something Rebirth Superman didn't do, so in the revised timeline, maybe the people of Hamilton are usually seeing him with the glasses (But not always- he wasn't wearing them at the beginning of issue 20).

Originally Posted by HsssH

I'm here only for Damian/Jon interactions so maybe I'll just repeat someone else, but am I the only one who doesn't really like Gleason draws Lois? I really love his art, but his Lois is just off to me.

He did one really nice image of her in issue 20, but here in issue 21, it's back to the double-sized anime eyes he uses to draw Jon. I don't like that style at all. Too cutesy.

I'm here only for Damian/Jon interactions so maybe I'll just repeat someone else, but am I the only one who doesn't really like Gleason draws Lois? I really love his art, but his Lois is just off to me.

I don't really like the way Gleason draws Lois either, not that I mind and think it detracts from the issue. Just not a big fan of his style. I love the way Jimenez draws Lois though!

Also, to comment on the whole Lois needs a bigger part in the comic, I'd agree. I'd like to see some more mother son interaction. But I think you are crossing the line and going too far when suggesting that the creators are sexist, that's just too far over the line. That's a extraordinary claim and would require extraordinary evidence, and Lois not really getting prime time in a superman comic is not enough evidence to go on to even suggest that Tomasi is a sexist.

Did they recognize him as Superboy, or did Jon spill the beans? When I read it, it seemed like he let it slip and said something like "My father..." rather than the people in the town saying "There's Superman's son!".

Superman yells out "son" and before that Superboy says "my dad," so it's likely that it's common knowledge do whatever degree. No less strange than the knowledge of Kon-El being a clone being public Pre-52. Or even the fact that Supergirl is Superman's cousin. That sort of transparency seems to be how they're playing this post-Reborn.

Though, you've also got to consider the fact that all of Hamilton might be under a "spell" of some sort. But I'm fine with "Superboy is Superman's son" being public knowledge.

I was ready to drop my subscription to the book again, as I've done several times since Rebirth, because I really don't like the Jon-centric stuff. Kathy "turning heel" is enough for me to keep my subscription at least through the next issue, though. I like shocking swerves and heel turns. Also, for some reason the giant squid seems cool (I have no idea why).

Still, it'll be nice if they can take this book away from Hamilton and lose the Jon-focus. The title of the book is Superman. Superman should be the center of the stories. I know, I'm "biased" because I don't like Jon, but if I were reading SuperSons or a book called Superboy (Which I wouldn't, but if I were...), I wouldn't complain about him being a central or the central character. I'm reading Superman, though. I want it to be about Superman.

One of the few times the current volume of this title has gone away from focusing on Jon and Hamilton was Multiplicity, and it was their best arc IMO. I don't think that's a coincidence.

Also, I'm not seeing enough much separation if any from Rebirth Superman to Reborn Superman in the Superman title. Other than that they are now the Kents, it seems almost exactly the same. It's like the writers here just had this story they wanted to tell with Rebirth Superman and went ahead and it did despite the changes, with the bare minimum acknowledgement the editors would let them get away with.

Well, Batman is the world's most famous detective. It's not like they got scooped by "some guy". Part of the reason Batman is a Justice League caliber hero despite his complete lack of powers is that he can put puzzle pieces together that other people can't, or can put them together faster than other people could.

Did they recognize him as Superboy, or did Jon spill the beans? When I read it, it seemed like he let it slip and said something like "My father..." rather than the people in the town saying "There's Superman's son!".

However, one thing that is becoming a bit hard to suspend disbelief wise is that Jon has the exact same way of speaking as Superboy as he does as Jon. I mean, that by itself isn't bad to believe, I would imagine keeping two personas separate is hard even for the adult heroes, but the thing is with his expanded "yes sir" and "no sir" and the exaggerated extra vowel stuff in a small town where everyone knows his civilian identity should tip them off. And once they realize Jon is Superboy, and Superboy says Superman is his father, and since they know Clark Kent is Jon's father and Clark doesn't even wear glasses on the farm a lot of times, even the village idiot should be able to piece Superman's secret identity together. I know it's always been a bit ridiculous that people don't get who Superman is, but this is getting really over the top ridiculous. Granted, since Reborn, the combined Superman has been wearing the glasses some, something Rebirth Superman didn't do, so in the revised timeline, maybe the people of Hamilton are usually seeing him with the glasses (But not always- he wasn't wearing them at the beginning of issue 20).

He did one really nice image of her in issue 20, but here in issue 21, it's back to the double-sized anime eyes he uses to draw Jon. I don't like that style at all. Too cutesy.

Yeah Batman just walked in to the situation and said " Don't you people find this really odd?" Its the outsiders perspective at play here. The kents live in the area and don't find things strange but from someone who isn't from around here finds it really weird and investigates themselves.

I'm pretty sure Damian regularly admits (brags even) that Batman is his pops in the field. So this is just continuing off that. BTW, I think I already like this mysterious swamp monster smoking guy more than Mr. Oz. He's doing Mr. Oz better than Mr. Oz. At least his stuff seems to be going somewhere. Also I didn't see that bit with Kathy coming (thought she was Jon's Lana!), I think she and her Gramps might be victims still. Though maybe the mysterious smoking man might be her dad and Cobb's son and they're a family of stalking psychopaths.
Anyway all the big heroes do their stuff in the cities, I kinda assumed that the small town places were relatively safe, I guess things are crazy all over.

I didn't like it. In fact, the only Superman related issue of a comic I did like recently was Supergirl #8. When I read Tomasi's Superman, it feels like all of the momentum from the Reborn merge has been lost. It feels like that status quo, or as if Reborn didn't happen. His focus is on the wrong things, and I'm so so tired. Jon has a book. Superman has several. Lana has one. Kara has one. Batman has several. Damian has one. Lois is getting the short end of the stick. She should be getting equal, if not more focus than Jon, and certainly more than Damian, who with his appearance here and in in Super Sons, seems to get more to do than Lois Lane. This is unacceptable to me. I'm with NellieBly. Something needs to change.

I've actually come up with a theory on the possibility of it being Black. I just can't shake the fact that i read his words with a British accent. Also the cigarette is hard to shake too.

There's a lot of psychic powers being evoked. The illusions over at Deadman's Swamp, Kathy's TK, and Krypto being controlled.

Is it possible that this newly revised version of Manchester has created this sort of idyllic "Pleasantville?" Maybe gathering together people from all around and mind controlling them to play roles? This all being in an attempt to put Superman and his son in a controlled "Truman Show" environment where he is the director. What if this is Manchester doing a sort of parody of the middle American values that Superman "beat" him with in their first encounter. What better revenge than to take those values and use them to twist his son's development?

That would make Jon "Superman Black" I suppose.

Kathy? What if she's actually Vera Black in some sort of new body? Chester's way of giving his sister the life that they longed for. A sort of twisted version of the outside-looking-in American Dream. I noticed that basically nothing is said about Kathy's parents. We know that Chester and Vera were abused greatly by their parents, so it's no surprise he'd want to leave out even an approximation of them. Cobb is likely either a robot or a construct Chester has created as this sort of ideal middle american paternal figure.

The more I think about it, the more I'm okay with it being Black if it's along these lines.

Still though, his involvement in things like the multiverse crossing arc of Dino island, and his use of various animals, and inventions makes me question that it is him. It just feel to, I guess, "highbrow" for a character like Black. But given the fact that Doug Mahnke is a part of the team, and Tomasi and Gleason have room and reason to upgrade Black as they see fit, it very well could be him.